I Fell Out of Love With Spinning—Could Rowing Be a Good Rebound?

First things first, you should know that I haven't properly exercised in months. I'm not ashamed of it, it'll just make sense when I explain how trialling this new class lead me to almost vom and pass out... But more on that later.

I had basically grown tired of my old spinning routine, and with no one to go with, I'd packed in running altogether too. So I was on the lookout for the thing that was going to get me back on the exercise bandwagon again, a buzzy new fitness class that would be equal parts fun and effective. And that's when I heard about the burgeoning boutique rowing scene bubbling up in London and with nothing to lose, I booked in to try the Full Body Workout at GROW Fitness, near London's Tottenham Court Road.

Not knowing what to expect, I entered the studio and sheepishly picked out the same equipment it seemed the more experienced participants had gathered: a mat, and two sets of weights. Obvs I went for the lightest weights possible—my upper body strength is ridiculous.

Like other HIIT sessions, the class is split into two groups, and you rotate between the rowing machines and the floor. We start off with some nice, simple warm up exercises, and not being of particularly fitness-y stock, I had no idea what any of the names meant, but thankfully, the instructor acts them out for you. I started the first round on the mats, and yes, my measly arms struggled to hold up the weights for the allotted time and yes, my burpee technique leaves much to be desired, but I actually didn't mind it. I felt like I was actually activating my body once more, and that's a pretty empowering feeling.

But it was on the rowing machine that I really came into my own. Desperate to not let the women either side of me overtake my efforts, I rowed as fast as my tiny arms would take me and the instructor was on hand to give plenty of form advice: never fully unbend the knees, pull from the core etc etc. It was actually pretty fun, just like I used to find spinning.

"Nothing beats rowing if you want an effective, full-body workout to build your cardio fitness, burn fat and build muscle," Ben Scarles, head of strength tells me. "It recruits 86% of muscle mass, which is more than you'll get with other CV machines, and, what's more, it's low-impact without compromising on intensity, meaning you get an incredible workout without putting unnecessary strain on your joints (like you can get with running). Win win."

The class continues swapping on and off the rowing machines, and climaxes at this ridiculous session of final exercises, and that's when my body said "no more". I'll save you the details but basically I went very dizzy, and felt like I was going to be sick so I had to excuse myself and sit the rest of the class out. In all honesty, this wasn't really a reflection of the class, but more my lack of pre-workout fuel and my feeble constitution. Yes, the class is intense, but in a good 'it's-actually-doing-something' kind of way.

For days after, my entire upper body ached, especially across my chest but it was nothing that a few stretches couldn't ease. I just loved how rowing activated muscles I rarely use and ones I have always wished were stronger. It might take me a little longer to finally get over the embarrassment of not quite making it through the entire class, but I'll certainly be back for more. If you're looking for a fresh new addition to your workout plan, rowing might just be the one.